Researchers at the University of Greenwich used 3D printing combined with hot melt extrusion to create candy-like formulations to aid in pediatric medication adherence. The Pharmaceutical Research article 3D Printed “Starmix” Drug Loaded Dosage Forms for Paediatric Applications, by Nicolaos Scoutaris, Steven A. Ross, and Dennis Douroumis, explains the process used to create these candy-like formulations and their efficacy.
To create this palatable medication, the authors combined the 3D printing technique of fusion deposition modeling with hot melt extrusion to create extruded filaments of indomethacin, hypromellose acetate succinate, and polyethylene glycol, which were filtered into the 3D printer.
Many analyses were performed to assess drug-excipient interactions along with product consistency, including differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and confocal Raman analysis.
Taste masking was crucial for pediatric adherence. The authors share that “[a]ll 3D printed designs showed excellent taste masking with no bitterness at all and no aftertaste was reported.” Dissolution was also tested with successful results.
Ultimately, the researchers demonstrated that this formulation can be successfully 3D printed and that this combination of fusion deposition modeling with hot melt extrusion may be beneficial as a new manufacturing method for pediatric formulations.
This article, originally published in 2018, won the 2020 AAPS Pharmaceutical Research Meritorious Manuscript Award. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in new pharmaceutical science concepts or new experimental procedures published in Pharmaceutical Research research articles from two years prior to recognition. The article has been cited 54 times and viewed almost 1,800 times as of April 2021.
Read the full article as part of your AAPS membership and watch Douroumis’ award acceptance video from the 2020 PharmSci 360!